STATIC GUARD

JK, who is a great reader, in the library a lot, and one of my orphan cat adopters, asked a good question yesterday. (Her mother was concerned that she had been given poor advice by a friend). She wondered " Is it OK to pat your cat during the cold winter since you might administer a shock and hurt them?" Now that is indeed a problem, but there are solutions. We've all walked across the carpet and reached out to a pet (not just cats) and given them a little shock, even seen a spark fly occasionally, particularly in a dim room. One thing to do, of course, is NOT to pat a pet after strolling across the rug! Sit down, wait a minute or so, and then haul them into your lap, perhaps using a brush to interact with all that fur. Another easy solution, according to our Children's Librarian, is to wet your hands in the kitchen sink first (just a little bit). Bottom line: physical interaction with your pet, be it cat, dog, ferret, hamster, is important for its welfare and your happiness. So........during these very cold days, just be a little bit thoughtful and patient. Don't reach and grab-go slowly.....If there should be a tiny shock, it won't hurt anyone-----I promise.